Although there is an ever-growing volume of research focused on TESOL textbooks (or coursebooks, as they are sometimes known), I argue that the TESOL research community should pay more attention to textbook research in mainstream education, that is, to the work of those scholars who focus on L1 rather than L2 education, given that there is a rich,…

Japan has a long tradition of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). A common feature of EFL courses is reliance on specific textbooks as a basis for graded teaching, and periods in Japanese EFL history are marked by the introduction of different textbook series. These sets of textbooks share the common goal of taking students from…

The present study is based on the theoretical assumptions that frequency of characters and their structural components, as well as the frequency types of structural components, are important to enable learners of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) to discover the underlying structure of Chinese characters. In the CFL context, since reliable…

Seeks to promote more discriminating use of current language textbooks by attempting to isolate a general implicit goal in their development, by pointing out developmental issues awaiting resolution, either in theory or in practice, and by identifying assumptions about the desired role of teachers and students. (Author/DJD)

Course books are said to be the core of language teaching and learning processes on which the EFL teachers and English language institutes obviously base their activities. EFL students often consult teachers for a suitable textbook or even a good institute to be recommended to them for self-study or regular classroom attendance. Frankly speaking,…

Examines the evolution of Spanish textbooks qualitatively using computerized pedagogical data. Results show distinct generational text style trends from 1860 to 1998 which chronicle a common engine of change and conflict in standardization movements and the production of generational text styles. Summarizes 20th-century textbook generations and…

This article considers the role of textbooks in terms of normal day-to-day use in teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL), challenging the commonly held assumption that textbooks are of little value in EFL instruction. It argues that the textbook has a vital and positive part to play in EFL instruction on a daily basis. (20 references) (MDM)

A study of reading textbooks for English as a second language published in Japan evaluated 150 traditional reading textbooks and 32 new reading textbooks published for use in 1985. Traditional reading textbooks are those with main texts and notes and sometimes a few comprehension questions. New reading textbooks have main texts, comprehension…

Initial textbook investigations indicate that more new words/phrases are introduced than in a similar time frame in which foreign languages are studied. Reviews these initial studies, studies of vocabulary mastery in foreign languages, and general research concerning vocabulary development. Reports on occurrence of technical/special words in 25…

Examination of English-as-a-Foreign-Language reading coursebooks indicated that these books do not systematically incorporate insights derived from research into training designed to develop lexical inferencing strategies. The books give little advice on exploiting cues from morphology and little relationship is detectable between proposed…

An analysis of the lexical content of four recently published textbooks for college-level introductory German is presented. The study investigated the extent to which the materials prepare students for the intermediate level, as cited in the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages' (ACTFL's) proficiency guidelines. The lexical items…

Presents a preliminary report on the "image" of the U.S. and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) in language textbooks. The major weakness of elementary German textbooks in the U.S. is a simplistic portrayal of the culture. English language texts in the FRG tend to overemphasize the problem areas of American society, presenting a…

Reviews methods for analyzing gender bias in English-as-a- Second-Language textbooks and suggests a methodology that deals with (1) continuous discourse (prose) and context-reduced language (sentence-level items); and (2) interpreting language content (meaning) and counting language items (number of occurrences) based on the work of M.A.K.…

Explores the use of computer software such as databases and concordancing programs in the analysis of mathematical texts in the secondary classroom. Reports on research into aspects of the mathematics register at the individual word level, tracking the development of a single lexical item "diagonal" through the various national…

A study of the verbs used in the management sections of nursing texts looked at the use of verbs as lexical items and grammatical forms and at their form-function relationship. The analysis of verbs as lexical items attempted to establish whether or not there was a common core vocabulary among the four texts studied. The examination of verbs as…